Back & Spine Pain

Back pain can seriously slow you down and hold you back from your next great adventure. The Advanced Orthopedics and Spine Program at Beaufort Memorial is here for you with solutions to your pain. Beaufort Memorial is with you, always.

Get Back to Life

Back pain affects nearly 80% of adults at some point in their lives, but just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s any less unpleasant. Find the relief you need from back pain in our free guide. Learn why back pain occurs and get answers to frequently asked questions, including:

  • What causes back pain?
  • How is back pain diagnosed?
  • What can I do to relieve my back pain?

Advanced Spine Surgeries

When you visit us with back pain, we spend the time necessary to pinpoint the root cause, whether arthritis, poor body mechanics, injury or a condition such as degenerative disc disease. Once our team is able to diagnose the source of your pain, they can determine if you need physical therapy, bracing, injections or surgery to address the problem. 

The leading-edge spine surgeries available at Beaufort Memorial involve advanced technologies to treat your spine issue while sparing healthy muscle tissue, allowing you to recover faster and, in some cases, return home the same day as your surgery. Request an appointment today to discuss your options.

Corpectomy
A solution for people experiencing osteoarthritis or other conditions that cause spinal compression, this procedure involves removing one or more vertebra as well as nearby discs. This allows for complete decompression of the spinal cord and nerve roots, alleviating pain and other symptoms. 

Discectomy and Lumbar Discectomy
Discectomies can offer long-sought relief for people with herniated discs. During a discectomy, the surgeon will remove the portion of the disc that has moved out of place to relieve pressure on surrounding nerves. A lumbar discectomy is similar but performed on discs in your lower back and can relieve symptoms related to sciatica.

Disc Replacement
As an alternative to spinal fusion, disc replacement uses an anterior (from the front) approach to replace a painful, worn-out disc in the low back with an implant made from synthetic material. With this technique, only the degenerative disc is removed, not adjacent healthy discs. This may offer a greater range of motion and faster recovery following surgery compared with spinal fusion. 

eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF)
XLIF is an innovative option to treat a variety of lower spine disorders, including degenerative disc, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis (disc slipping forward) and more. Surgeons perform the procedure by approaching the spinal disc from your side, which protects major back muscles, bones and ligaments from damage. This often means reduced surgical time, postoperative pain and scarring, fewer complications, a shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery. 

Kyphoplasty
If you’re dealing with a painful progressive vertebral compression fracture caused by osteoporosis, cancer or another condition, kyphoplasty may offer you relief. In this minimally invasive procedure, your surgeon uses balloons to move the fractured vertebra into the correct position. Bone cement is then injected to stabilize the area. Depending on your condition, Beaufort Memorial specialists can often perform kyphoplasty as a same-day procedure, allowing you to recover comfortably at home.

Spinal Decompression
People with a variety of spine issues, including degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and herniated discs, may benefit from spinal decompression. The procedure allows your surgeon to stabilize your spine by fusing two or more vertebrae together using bone grafts, metal rods and metal screws.

When Your Back Issue Is a Pain in the Neck

In addition to our advanced spine procedures, the board-certified and fellowship-trained surgeons in the Advanced Orthopedics and Spine Program at Beaufort Memorial offer treatments to solve persistent neck and nerve pain, including cervical decompression. We are also the only facility in the county to offer cervical disc replacement.

Meet Our Spine Experts

Our board-certified spine surgeons have a clinical interest in helping both adults and children find solutions to back pain.

 

B. Andrew Castro, M.D., MS
Scott Everett Strohmeyer, M.D.

Wondering if it’s time to see a doctor about your pain? Schedule an appointment if you’ve had back or neck pain for more than a few weeks and it hasn’t responded to rest and over-the-counter pain relievers.

When it comes to back pain, the idea of “no pain, no gain” holds no water. Back pain can be debilitating, and we’re here to help you find the right solution so you can work, play and do all the other activities that make life worth living.